Nes Jacinto: How immortality is earned

I often hear old activists say “the Movement attracts the best and the brightest.”  The masa would confirm this by saying “Kaya ‘yan naging aktibista kasi sumobra sa talino.” 

            Let me write about a kind of genius the Movement is so privileged to have been served.

            I first heard the name Nes Jacinto from NNB’s main anchor Sonia Capio.  Sonia always greeted Kodao people at the end of each show.  I knew all of them but Nes.  I co-anchored the show for more than three years but I have not met him.

            I worked in a human rights monitoring office from mid-2004.  At the end of that year, what I suspected all along was confirmed—I wasn’t a good-enough layout artist.  The office head then told me, “Kailangan na natin si Bulag.”

            I don’t know if my boss then was criticizing me quite harshly, saying a blind man would come out with better designs.  It turned it she was just telling it as it was.

            I then met Nes when I visited his cramped room where he lived and worked.  Then I realized what the boss meant about Nes’ blindness.  He wore impossibly thick glasses which he stuck no more than an inch in front of the computer monitor when working.  We then called him “Beautiful Eyes,” not to make fun of him but to acknowledge his eye for beauty, mostly his own creations.  I have yet to hear of anyone say he produced a bad work—even from people I know to be nearly impossible to please.

            From my stint at that office, I went to work full time for Kodao.  Then I learned more about Nes.  While Kodao’s early video productions may not be as good as those that we have now, it can never be said our CD covers are not works of art.

            Then I also learned that many of the Movement’s logos, books, posters, brochures, and many others were designed by this legally-blind guy.  To my activist-friends, look around you.  Chances are the flag you are holding or seeing may have some Nes Jacinto on it.

             Nes was conceived during the Second World War.  “Ang hirap noong giyera.  Puro kamote lang ang pagkain,” narrates his older brother.  Those extraordinary circumstances may be the reason why he was born with a blind right eye.  Despite this, Nes became a photographer who was among those who captured on film the Diliman Commune struggles and the First Quarter Storm.  He then became a cinematographer and film editor, which may be the reason for his near-total blindness.  When he can no longer edit films, he turned to digital designs and became one of the best in the business.  The world was blessed by a deaf composer who lifted our souls with his music; the Movement is blessed by a blind artist who lifts our tools of protest and struggle to art.

            He designed CERV’s logo, by the way. Pro bono.

            Nes and I connected even more when we talked about photography.  While paying him a visit one time, he mentioned the name of his favorite B&W photographer which he said should be my mentor from hereon.  I don’t know about this foreign photog, but Nes is already mine.  The last nugget he gave me as I was saying goodbye was, “Raymund, the tighter, the better.”  He talked about composition, by the way.

            Kodao had its annual board meeting last January where National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera was unanimously elected to stay as board chairperson.  Nes was unanimously elected to remain as board treasurer.  Already, I noticed Nes was pale and has lost weight.  Shortly after, we learned he was checked in at the UST hospital about suspected tuberculosis.  A battery of tests later revealed he has lung cancer—stage 4.

            Kodao recently launched a video on Justice Romeo T. Capulong and we are about to launch a video on retired navy captain Danilo P. Vizmanos on Monday, May 5.  On his sickbed, and his eyesight even dimmer, Nes asked to be given work. Wanting to give him time to rest, we attempted to do the covers ourselves.  When we took them to him for approval, we realized how deficient we are in skills.  But with his guidance, his “Sis” Risa Jopson nailed both covers in time.

            Yesterday, an odd dozen of us from several offices came to pay a little tribute to Nes at the UST hospital.  A letter from abroad was read to him, thanking him for his help on many occasions.  Comrades spoke about Nes’ contributions and friendship.  We sang songs—badly but passionately.  There was “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, then “Martsa ng Pagkakaisa” where Nes raised his hand in salute to the Movement who took him in as a young man and is bidding goodbye at his deathbed nearly four decades later.  When we sang “The Internationale”, Nes tried to sing it with us, mouthing the words, eyes closed in exhaustion.  Jola had to raise his hand at the last stanza but he clapped on his own at the end while the room was fighting back tears.

            Let me borrow a good line from Ron Papag to end this: We are giving birth to Nes Jacinto’s immortality at this moment.  Nes is sure to leave us soon enough.  But we will make sure younger comrades will know the name of the person who designed logos, books, flags, CD covers, posters, and many other works of art that are tools of our protest and struggle.

            Indeed, the Movement is blessed by many of society’s best and brightest.  Nes is one.

= = = =

Nes died at 6:30 in the morning of May 6 at the UST Hospital.  He was 63 years old.

          His remains were cremated on May 7.  That afternoon, Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity and its sister sorority paid him a tribute at the Church of the Risen Lord in UP.

          On the morning of May 8, Kodao staged a mini-exhibit of some of Nes' works.  That afternoon, another tribute was held for him by progressive groups, led by Kodao.  "The Internationale" was again sung.  Later his ashes were taken home to Malolos, Bulacan.

          Nes was a widower.  He is survived by his sons Mark and Sancho.

Comments

[Sancho]

Thanks po sa pagpost ng blog para kay papa. ^^